January 4, 2011 8:41 am

The Seahawks are not any garden-variety 7-9 team: they are an incredibly bad 7-9 team.

First, consider the Seahawks’ point differential. They allowed 407 points during the regular season while scoring just 310, meaning that they were outscored by roughly a touchdown per game on average. Although it is quite common for N.F.L. teams to reach the playoffs with a negative point differential, none has had one as poor as the Seahawks’ minus-97.

The Seahawks, moreover, were probably fortunate to be outscored by only 97 points. Measured by yardage, their offense ranked 28th of the 32 N.F.L. teams, while their defense ranked 27th. (Bizarrely, the San Diego Chargers led the N.F.L. in both categories, but finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs.) The Seahawks’ yardage differential — they were outgained by more than 1,100 yards this season, not counting special-teams plays — was the second-worst in football, ahead of only the Arizona Cardinals.

What’s more, the Seahawks compiled this inglorious record against mediocre opposition. Not only did they have the benefit of playing six games against the other weak teams in the N.F.C. West, but their four intra-conference games were scheduled against teams in the A.F.C. West, which was also rather weak this year. According to the ratings compiled by Jeff Sagarin of USA Today, the Seahawks’ schedule was the fifth easiest in the league.

Don Banks of Sports Illustrated explains how the playoff bracket would change if the NFL re-seeded the bracket, with New Orleans going from No. 5 see to No. 2 seed with a bye. Banks believes the league’s competition committee should consider altering the seeding format.

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Gregg Bell joined The News Tribune in July 2014. Bell had been the director of writing for the University of Washington's athletic department for four years. He was the senior national sports writer in Seattle for The Associated Press from 2005-10, covering the Seahawks in their first Super Bowl season and beyond. He's also been The Sacramento Bee's beat writer on the Oakland Athletics and Raiders. The native of Steubenville, Ohio, is a 1993 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and a 2000 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.

Feeds

The worst and second worst teams, according to Schatz, were the ’04 Rams and the ’98 Cards, which both won their first playoff games (the Rams beat the Seahawks, then became cellar-dwellers).

I think the Seahawks will not be a walkover for the Saints. However, if the Seahawks upset the Saints, they may get blown out in their next game (yes, even at Chicago). But I’ll be fine with that. Even in my wildest dreams, I do not expect them to win the Super Bowl this year. I just want them to get some confidence for next year and the year after.

Correction: It’s not very clear in Schatz’s piece, but it looks like he pegs the Seahawks as the second worst playoff team, not the third worst. The Rams are the worst and the Cards are the third worst.

I presume Carroll get this but at this point we have achieved more than we could have ever imagined at the beginning of his tenure this year! Playoffs.
We have nothing to lose – play like that! Play loose, play for fun and go kick some ass!

Whatever…we’re a playoff team. The haters are going to say what they are going to say. There are teams with better records sitting at home, but it proves that in life you don’t get paid on statistics and theory, you get paid on RESULTS.

How about the 85-86 Chicago Bulls? Went to the playoffs with a 30-52 record.

And all this re-seeding non-sense will die down after the season. It’s nothing more than knee-jerk reactions by half-wit blow hards. For Banks to propose a wild-card team be given a bye is far more absurd to me than the only team in NFL history to win a division with a sub .500 record hosting a playoff game. Where was all this “outrage” when a, 11-5 Patriots team sat home and a 8-8 Chargers team won the AFC West in ’08? I’m not hearing cases made for another team to make it over the ‘Hawks.. So all these people can suck it when Seattle beats the Saints on Sunday. Yeah, I said it!

This is just ridiculous, I’m already tired of hearing how the Hawks don’t deserve to be in the playoffs. I always support my team to fullest 100% but if the Hawks could make to the superbowl this year it would be just a little bit sweeter because it would be a big F – you to the NFL and they deserve it after our first Superbowl apperance. Believe me the last thing the NFL wants is a Seahawks 7-9 team in the Superbowl.

Isn’t this true… Under the old playoff scenario before they expanded the wild card. The Saints wouldn’t even be in the playoffs. Also as I remember the last meeting of these two teams the Saints didn’t exactly dismantle the Hawks. 5 points at home isn’t a beating.

Audible, great point. My stance on it is that we won our division, good or bad. And no matter how good the other teams’ records (statistics) may be, they failed to make the playoffs (results) because they were not good enough to win their respective divisions.

The NFL does like underdog’s and the stories and hype that go with it but they do not want to hear about a smaller market 7-9 team, that doesn’t deserve to be in the playoffs to begin with let alone the Superbowl. There are already story’s been writen that the playoff seeding needs to be changed because of our 7-9 record, the NFL does not want to hear this from the national sports media. They may like it when a underdog team wins the superbowl but they do not want to hear about the playoff model being broken and allowing an undeserving team in to the Superbowl.

Hawks are playing with house money this weekend and if they win awsome, if they lose NFC West Champs in the first year of the new regime. Saints on the other hand have all the pressure on them, losing to the Hawks would shut up the media for awhile. Just think if the Hawks do beat the Saints, I know quest field will be rocking and the 12th man needs to show the Saints that the Hawks were the better team on that particular Saturday. Go Hawks

I personally like the playoff seeding system and think we deserve to be in the playoffs, but I’m tired of hearing how the Seahawks are a joke and don’t deserve to be in the playoffs, if you believe this than you must agree that the playoff seeding system is broke. The NFL does not want this to be all the talk at this time year.

That is the great thing about a playoff system, sometimes the overall better team doesn’t win. For example when the Chargers 8-8 beat the 12-4 Colts, or when the Giants beat the undefeated Patriots in the superbowl. This is a single elimination 4 game tournement where the team that plays better for 60 minutes advances. I love that the Hawks are getting no love from the media so it will make it that much sweeter when they pull the upset.

You don’t pick your schedule, and you don’t pick your division, we pulled ourselves together and won with everything on the line, deal with it “experts”.

This Saturday game will be tough, I think we all know that, but Saints along with the Falcons have been, and still are the team I expected to be in the Super Bowl from the NFC, and with a vastly improved Saints defense it will be difficult, especially to run the ball (they’ve pretty much shut down Turner and Blount the last two weeks), if we want to win this ball game, I think our defense needs to play twice as good as this week plus create double the turnovers, also, watch out for the screen game, Bush kills team that way.

The thing that’s kind of funny about where we ended up in the postseason, is that, not unlike last season’s NCAA Tournament, where the Dawgs were given a lousy seed but beatable opponents, the Seahawks could actually make it to the NFC Championship and not really surprise too many Seattle Seahawks fans.

The Saints and Bears were two of the team’s better performances, and both on the road.

If the Hawks, by some miracle, do end up in the NFC Championship, this could go down as one of the best seasons — from a purely entertainment standpoint — in Seahawks history.

Someone posted something about results? Results? 7-9? 5th worst point differential in the league this season? Blown out in 5 of the final 7 games? Those results? The insane attitude of “we are in the playoffs so that is all that matters” ignores the point that this is the worst if not one of the worst playoff teams ever. It it a travesty they are in the playoffs. The Hawks don’t deserve to carry the jock strap of about 8 teams that didn’t make the playoffs. A joke, it must be a huge prank they are even there.

The ridiculous statement above that the seeding system must be broke if someone doesn’t think the Hawks should be in the playoffs makes me laugh. Look this is a first, it isn’t typical for this joke to happen in the playoffs. So, no the seeding system is fine. What isn’t fine is this particular season.

I know it’s just the “everyone hates us” paranoia in me but I wonder what would the national media be saying if Seattle had lost to the Rams on Sunday. Most likely we’d be hearing about how great it is that a team can go from the worst record in the NFL in 2009 to making the playoffs (with an 8-8 record mind you) a year later. They’d be praised for ‘how far they’ve come in such a short time”.

I even think that if SF had made it at 7-9 we’d be hearing about how they overcame their rough start to come on strong at the end and fight their way into the playoffs.

Nobody would be complaining about either of those teams being in the playoffs. They wouldn’t give them a chance just like Seattle isn’t being given a chance to win, but at least we wouldn’t be hearing about how it’s a ‘travesty of justice that they are there” or “the NFL should just take their playoff spot away and give it to a more deserving team”.

I hope I’m wrong, but I fear I’m right. Nobody outside of the Pacific Northwest wants to see Seattle in the playoffs regardless of record.

Wow, letsworkitout, hard to tell what side of the fence you are on. As a fan since ’76 I’ve seen Seattle field some awful teams. I’ve never referred to them as a “joke”, and am not about to start now. They got the results, plain and simple: THEY WON THE DIVISION. Under the current system, when you win the division, you go to the playoffs and host a playoff game. Maybe you should either support the team of bash them elsewhere.

Chuck – I actually think you are 100% right. If SF had made it at 7-9, we’d hear about how talented they are, just got off to a bad start, but now they’re dangerous. Or some such non-sense.

BobbyA – I actually thought about that last night as well. I had to shut it down though, felt like I was getting too far ahead of myself. I’m a bit superstitious that way… Dare to dream, indeed. (gets the juices flowing, eh?)

Their results are they have had awful performances all season. One quality win all season. They are merely lucky they happen to be in this division. They are a joke of a playoff team. Yes under the current system they are in. Doesn’t mean they are a good playoff team. Doesn’t mean they will magically turn in around. Almost a -100 point differential? Are you kidding me? It is an aberration that a team like this gets into the playoffs. No need to go changing the system for a fluke like this. Of the 7 wins they have 5 are against teams under 500, one is against SD and one against Chicago. Results? They were given this playoff spot due to the quality of the division. How do you earn it when you are blown out 5 of the last 7 games. How do you earn it when 2 of those wins are against sub 500 teams? It is a gift. You do not return gifts, so into the playoffs they go to get blown out.

F the world, I don’t know if the Hawks deserve to be in the playoffs, but it they show up Saturday and are competitive, then F it, they deserved it. If they get smoked, well, they didn’t. Anyways, I hope they show up and at least make a game of it. If they win, then like I said, F the world baby. That would be crazy. Go Hawks.

PS. Please show up, don’t treat it like a playoff game like in Frisco, just go out and leave it all on the feild. House money, get nuts.

They also had an inept coach that didn’t help. To go along with the SF talk, consider that in those first 5 losses were 3 games lost by a field goal in the closing minute of a game. They went to Atlanta and intercepted Ryan with 2 minutes to go with a lead only to have the defender stripped. New Orleans beat them with a field goal as time expired. How did Seattle do in those games vs those teams? Not saying that SF deserved to be there either, but they are probably more talented and had worse leadership.

Stories like these serve no purpose for Seahawks fans. I don’t care what America thinks. My team made by the playoffs under the rules that everybody agreed to. Pissed you got left out? Move to LA, and petition the NFL for realignment to the NFC West. Otherwise, WIN YOUR OWN DIVISION!!! GO SEAHAWKS!!!

This thread has devolved into a pointless discussion, if I may. No one is arguing that Seattle is a good football team, by comparison of the other playoff clubs, simply that they did enough to win the worst division in football, this year. If it’s important to illustrate just how bad they are by comparison, that’s one’s prerogative (and very likely one from an embittered perspective). But really, what purpose does it serve now? Got to agree with csungrad.

All this talk about point differential of losses is ridiculous! It never has and never will matter how much you lose by, if you lose, you lose, it doesn’t matter if it’s by 1 or 100 points. Last I looked they don’t use degree of point you lose by as tie breaker in the NFL, so enough already.

Hawks won the division = hosting a wildcard playoff game!
Get over it!

Point differential tells the story that they allow a lot of points and score few. Overall that is. The dumb cardinal comparison is funny. Really? The Cardinals had far more going for them the hawks. Hey, the hawks should accept their gift. They are in the playoffs for a game. Hey, nothing for me to get over, lol. I already know they are an awful team. No, I’m not a Giants fan, I just know what I’m looking at in the Hawks. I know some of you want to dream the dream, but they don’t even have a dream of a chance right now. You CANNOT win in the playoffs with gimpy linemen, shaky QB situation, little depth, and little momentum.

This team wasn’t suppose to be even this good. Heck, 3 coaches in 3 years what do you expect?
I’ll admit it’s tough to be a sports fan here but I’ll never give up.
I’ll be at the game on Saturday screaming my lungs out!

“Point differential tells the story that they allow a lot of points and score few”
Who cares, its not how many points over the season you score or give up, its all about one thing and one thing only, wins and loses.

In the NFL nothing is given to you, you have to earn it. The Hawks have earned a playoff game by being division winners. If the NFC West sucks and is full of losers than a I guess New Orleans are the real winners getting to play such a crappy team in the first round, but we will see.

I’m a realist I don’t expect the Hawks to win but I’m happy we get a playoff game at home that we earned. Crappy division or not we won it. You take advantage of the opportunities you’r given and thats exactly what the Hawks have done.

What an oddball season! LOL! So, at this point, we’re underdogs at home in a playoff scenario very few of us ever expected to participate in…. did I say underdogs at home? @ Home in Seattle????? Ha Ha! What a difference the home field makes!…. And….. nothing to lose! Everything to gain! Wow!
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Think we have a QB controversy? What happens if Hass ‘DOES’ start and has a career game for the win? Sure makes one wonder what would happen next year, yes??? Too funny!
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………………………… Happy New Year all! …………………….

Wins Losses, Point differential, Means absolutely nothing to me. What matters most to me is what my team is doing today, Now! Not yesterday.Smart fans know why this team has been up and down this year, and dumb fans are going to use any negative stat to make their point!
Bottom line is we have exeeded our expectations for this year, and now we have a home playoff game against the superbowl champs! How sweet is that!

I truly believe that we have for the most part the best fans in the NFL,and unfortunately I believe that we have some of the worst fans in the NFL.

BTW, no idea who “curyisabust” is. I just think Seattle fans are some of the more uninformed sports fans in the country. So many casual fans and fans who are “go hawks” with little to support their opinions beyond fluff. I would say fluff defines the Seattle fans. I doubt most couldn’t tell you more than 10 names from the roster. Memorizing names themselves isn’t the be all obviously, but being informed and passionate shows when you know the team.

It isn’t just football. Baseball games are awful to go to when you see half the people just loitering around not watching the game. Why go then?

How about basketball? It wasn’t just Clay that was responsible for the Sonics leaving. Apathetic fans contributed as well.

Gentlemen (and ladies, and letsworkitout) – we will have 7+ months to talk about how bad this team was, how anomalous their playoff berth was, etc. The ‘Hawks are in the playoffs! Hosting a game!

No one truly knows what will happen this weekend, and so these hard-bitten, “realist” rants make me laugh.

What’s the point there, letsworkitout? If the ‘Hawks lose, you’ll be able to say “i told you they weren’t good”, and get to start the offseason early?

I for one am going to enjoy this week, and enjoy Saturday, whatever the outcome. I fully expect a loss, and possibly even a sound beating, but the fact that I’m able to savor a week of buildup to a Seahawks playoff game this year, in year one of a complete rebuild, is so far from what I expected that I could care less how they got here, what historical “context” “football experts” put around it, or what it says about the system.

Go ‘Hawks! I’ll be wearing my gear this Saturday and watching the playoffs from the same place as Vernon Davis – a couch in San Francisco.

Three of the top NFC teams didn’t exactly dominate the Seahawks in yardage. It was turnovers (against the Falcons) and settling for FGs instead of TDs (against the Saints) that made the scores lop-sided. And two of those games were away. I’m not saying this is a good team, but I’m saying that they’ve very capable of upsetting the Saints at home.

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